Ireland relax as they are set to avoid Black Ferns in semi-final

The good news, and there's plenty, is Ireland will almost certainly avoid New Zealand in the World Cup semi-final when the tournament moves into Paris and Stade Jean-Bouin next Wednesday.

Poised to win Pool B, when they will surely overcome Kazakhstan on Saturday that would see Fiona Coghlan's team finish on a maximum of 13 points.

England, Australia or possibly Canada can reach 14 points as Pool winners, which would see them ranked number one and therefore play best runner up, which the Black Ferns are now targeting.

"I was surprised that Ireland maintained their level of performance for the entire 80 minutes," said New Zealand coach Brian Evans. "Performance wise they are a good team. They work very hard and do what they need to do really, really well."

“You can only stand back and applaud them. We are gutted with our own performance but that’s for us to talk about.”

“New Zealand stunned by Ireland at the World Cup,” read the headline on NZHerald.co.nz as the greatest rugby nation on earth took Tuesday’s 17-14 defeat with magnanimity.

"Ireland's big pack ripped into their work and scarcely let up for 80 minutes," the Herald reported.

“It was a tribute to their organisation and set-piece ability, where they shunted the Black Ferns off the ball once and should have been awarded a penalty try on another.

"They also presented a disciplined defensive line, shutting down the Black Ferns so well that dangerous outside backs Honey Hireme and Huriana Manuel hardly saw any ball."

Resilience and character’

Assistant coach

Grant Hansen

added: “This will test the resilience and character of the girls, because they don’t lose a lot.”

Yesterday was an essential rest day in Marcoussis so much so that Ireland’s scheduled jaunt to the Palace of Versailles was shelved.

Let the girls rest, was the sensible advice of conditioning coach Marian Earls whose stock, after the manner in which the fitness levels held up, has risen considerably.

There is also hope that number eight Heather O’Brien – who claimed the first of Ireland’s two tries – can recover from a finger injury.

Mags O’Reilly, however, has shown no ill-effects from a suspected and subsequently disproven concussion that forced her off the field between the 60th and 66th minute.